USB battery recharging on the transmitter, the copter plugs into the transmitter to recharge

When the copter plugs into the transmitter, the user can synchronize to a random radio frequency

Controlled using a Wii Classic Controller, which plugs into the transmitter

Running a modified MultiWii firmware, which is open source, written with Arduino and Processing

Dimension Specs:

Square center body is 1.5" by 1.5"

Propellers are about 45mm in diameter

Diagonal motor to motor distance is 110mm

Motors are supposedly "X-Twin" spare motors, they come with the propellers

Electrical Specs:

Flight battery is a single Li-poly cell, 3.7V, 350mAH, 20C

Controller battery is a single Li-ion cell, 3.7V, 1000mAH

Uses ATmega128RFA1 microcontroller for both copter and transmitter

This particular ATmega has a built-in 2.4GHz transceiver, 16 possible channels, 250kbit/s or 2mbit/s max depending on the standard being used.

Design Highlights:

The "arms" and "body" are connected by locking slots, making them easy to build and repair

Motors slide right into the arm

Two layer 1.6mm thick FR4 PCB used (this is the default for a lot of PCB manufactures), the components are all on a single side (easy to assemble)

All open source project, schematics + PCB + code all available. Heavy use of Arduino and Zigduino involved.

This is actually the 2nd such tiny quadrotor helicopter I've built. The first one worked well and I'm extremely proud of it, but it did have several flaws, enough flaws to justify a remake. This Instructable documents "version 2", but you may see pictures of "version 1" in some places.

Step 0Come up with puntastic name
Pico... Copter... You get the idea. This project was originally named "PalmQuad" since it's small enough to fit in your palm, so if you might see some mention of this name in the code or pictures.

I originally finished building "version 1" in November, and wrote the Instructable in November. Then I went on vacation for a few weeks, and also school just started. Now it is February and I just finished "version 2", but since I've already written the majority of the Instructable, I have some bits of "version 1" text that I'll just cross out like this, and then update it with the changes in "version 2".

All project files are available to download in this instructable "step". It contains files for "version 1" only for reference purposes, please only use "version 2" files. Although I really recommend you only take my concepts and design everything from scratch yourself instead, just so there's absolutely no mysteries in your project.

If you are wondering about the lack of a flight video, see step 6 for an explanation.

Oh and I noticed that "AdBlock" stops Instructables from showing you all my pictures, so please turn it off.

I ordered the PCB's and built this. This is an advanced user project. The chip packages are QFN and a challenge to solder. Total cost was approx $200. I could not get parts of the TX code to compile, and had to modify. The author considers this a "old" project and does/will not support or help.

Brilliant you made one! I bought one of the Hubsan branded ones which is fantastic, far easier but far smaller than the massive 5 foot bladed gas powered 60 size XCEL I had in my youth - that things was lethal!

Nifty way to charge it and avoiding RF interference. I am impressed, did you get three or one gyros in there?

sir,i'm getting more confusion at the time of programming.can u show me how to install every code into picopter.from so many days,i'm working on it.i'm completed the hardware stuff fully,but totally failing in programming.please give me a installation video or step by step installation.kindly thanking you

sir , from where to get those 2 green plates 1 for quadracopter and 1 for transmitter and what is there plate number .plz tell fast i wanted to make and sir as i wanted to order somethings at digikey.com there are comming 3 options all are same but there is comming tape and reel,cut tape and digi reel. which one i should select...... plz tell fast sir plzzzzzzzzzz

How much did this project cost?? My friend got one of those really cool Parrot AR Drones and i want to build something similiar so we can do cool stuff with them. Maybe even launch this thing off of the botton of the big one. Where did you order the custom PCBs?? would love to build this!

Just fyi: I ordered all parts at Digikey, Sparkfun & ebay and ended up paying 190 euro incl. shipping to EU and printing 3 qc/tx pcbs. I was expecting something among 100 euro but I didn't want to go back after ordering the first parts :) Batch ordered, a kit might cost something around 150 euros I'd guess.

It's amazingly easy to find everything you've listed here; no exotic parts or anything, in fact, hardest part is finding a cheap li-po.

Do you have any idea how much payload this thing can carry? Or what flight time you achieve with whatever battery you're using?

Maybe i got an idea for you to use different propellers. The problem with these propellers is that people put their fingers to near to it, or they get damaged when you hit something during flight, Maybe you remember thse kid toys : http://www.papstar-products.com/papstar_pe/prodpic/4-Toys-Flying-propeller-18909_b_0.JPG

i think if you raise the outer circle a bit (strip of thin hard sheet) it would improve the blade too (better earodynamics for end of proppellor.)

Instead of using jumper blocks, have you considered these plunger switches?

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15214

They're less of a hassle and they'll fit the same footprint assuming you're using 2 * thru hole .1 inch headers. If you're using SMT headers for the jumpers, still doable but will require bending the switch pins and perhaps a dab of hot glue.